Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882 edition. Excerpt: ... ILLUSTRATIONS ALSO CONTRIBUTED. To face. View of Fort Johnson ----- 139 Portrait of Sir William Johnson - - 159 Facsimile of Paper signed by the John- sons, Herckmer, Schuyler, and others 161 Facsimile of Proclamation of George III 181 Portrait of Joseph Brant from plate used in " Life of Brant" - - - - - 196 View of Johnson Hall from plate used in "Life of Johnson" - - - - - - 212' Facsimile of Washington's Letter - 215 Facsimile of Declaration of Independence 220 THE TORIES OR LOYALISTS HE accompanying waifs, possessing in themselves as little intrinsic interest as continuity, are a few random footprints of Sir John Johnson's life of exile, spared by the tides of a century which have effaced many of his once deeper impressions on American affairs. They casually fell into the writer's historical collection, mingled with other imported manuscripts, proving at least, that some antiquarian in the old world had considered them worthy of preservation. The knowledge that amongst such fragments have been found the key to valuable facts, and the elucidation of past events obscured by time, has, as we know, caused a growing interest in the preservation in public or private collections or in print, of anything of a public character, produced by the brain and hands of men who made some mark on their time before passing away. What seems of little value to one, may become of interest to another, and we know that there are few things existing which have not a place when the problem of supply and demand is solved. Even a rock which has long cumbered the ground becomes valuable when broken up and concreted into a wall. Although these papers referred to throw very little, and that a later light upon the unfortunate career of Sir John Johnson, which will...